Self-cleaning phonograph needle



Dec. 15, 1931. c. w. HALL SELF CLEANING PHONOGRAPH NEEDLE Filed Nov. 10, 1930 Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES W. EALL, 01 DENVER, 001.018.5150, ABSIGNOR OI ONE-EAL! '10 8. mm

SELF-CLEANER? PKONOGBAPE NEEDLE Application filed November 10, 1980. Serial No. 494,470.

This invention relates to a phonograph needle and has for its principal object the provision of a phonograph needle which will simultaneously clean the record grooves 15 while it is playing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-dampening phonograph needle, that is, one in which will be incorporated means for dampening or cushioning the vi- 1 bration of the needle so as to soften the tone of the reproduction.

A further object is to effectively combine the cleaning and dampening features as an integral part of the needle so that whenever 15 the needle is changed the cleaning and dampening medium will also be changed, and so that it will be unnecessary to apply any attachments to the reproducer or tone arm.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawings and throughout the 30 description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates the invention in use upon a honograph.

ig. 2 is a greatly magnified side elevation 35 of the improved phonograph needle.

Fig. 3 is a similarly magnified plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the actual size of the needle.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate alternate methods of constructing the improved needle.

In Fig. 1 typical parts of a phonograph are designated by numeral as follows: turn table 10; record 11; reproducer 12; needle arm 45 13; needle arm set screw 14; and tone arm In its simplest formthe invention comprises a needle 16, which may be of any of the usual types of replaceable phonograph needles, preferably having a tapered point or extremity for engagement in the grooves of the recordll; Suitable adhesive is applied to the point or tapered portion of the needle 16. The point is then forced through a collar or pad 17 of soft yieldable material so that the pad is securely cemented to the needle with the needle point slightl projecting therethrough as indicated in F The pad 17 may be of an desired shape or material. It is prefera 1y formed by stamping a circular collar from relatively thick felt. Felt having a thickness of approximately one-eighth of an inch has been found to be very satisfactory The needle 16 is placed in the needle arm 13 of the phonograph similarly to the ordinary needle and is clamped therein by the needle arm set screw 14. The natural angular position of the needle arm 13 causes one edge of the pad 17 to be forced against the record 11 immediately ahead of the needle as shown in Fig. 1. As the turn table 10 rotates the record grooves must pass under the contacting pad 17 before reaching the needle 16 so that the grooves are scoured or cleaned before contacting with the needle point. This cleaning action greatly increases the life of the record and needle since no abrasive substances remain in the. grooves of the record to cause wear.

B having the pad 17 circular the needl can e placed in the needle arm in any position and will always uniformly contact with the record. The needle can be rotated to bring a fresh portion into contact with the record should one side thereof become soiled. The needles are comparativel inex nsivo to manufacture so that they can be iscarded should the pads become unduly dirty or should the needle become worn.

In addition to the self cleaning feature of the pad 17 it has been found that it also serves an additional function in that it acts to dampen or cushion the vibrations of the needle so as to remove discordant rattling,

scratching or tinpanny sounds from the final od has been found to be very satisfactory.

A second method, however, is illustrated in Fig. 5 in which a backing 18 of relatively stiff material such as card board is employed to hold a felt pad 19 in place. The needle is forced through the backin 18 which frictionally engages the ta re portion thereof to prevent the pad 19 rom bein forced u wardly on the needle. In this orm no a hesive or cement is required.

In Fig. 6 still another method of applying the felt orgxyieldable pad is illustrated. In this meth a needle 20 is formed with a shoulder 21 adjacent its point. The shoulder 21 acts to revent a pad 22 from being forced upward y on the needle without the use of adhesive or cement. All of the forms operate similarly whenin place in the needle arm of a phonograph.

It has been found very desirable, althou h not necessary, to have the pads sligh y dampened with oil. This'serves a double purpose. First, it"lubricates the record so .outwardly from said needle, and a pad of as to lessen the friction and resultant noise,

and second, it causes dust and other foreign material to be more readily removed and to adhere more tenaciously to.the ad.

While a specific form of the 1m rovement has been described and illustrate herein, it is desired'to beunderstood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus describedthein vention, what is claimed andrdesiredisecured *by'Letters Patent is 1. A phonograph needle comprising: a needle member; and a yieldable pad carried by said needle member and ada ted to contact with the phonograph recor while said needle member is in contact therewith.

2. A needle for playing phonograph records comprisin a ointedneedle member; a collar of yisdabl e material surrounding said needle membenadjacent its point so that said collar will contact with said record when said point is in contact therewith.

3. A needle for playing phonograph records comprising: a pointed needle member; a collar of yieldable material surrounding said needle member adjacent its point so that said collar will contact with said record when said point is in contact therewith; and means for preventing said pad frombeing forced upwardly on said needle away from the point thereof.

4. The combination with a pointed phonograph needle of a ad of yieldable material attached thereto a jacent the point thereof.

5. The combination with a pointed phonograph needle of a felt pad surrounding the point of said needle and adapted to contact with a phonograph record while said point is in contact therewith.

6. The combination with a -phonograph needle of a collar surrounding and extending 

